<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>A Mother's Love by Night_Writer</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28424937">A Mother's Love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Night_Writer/pseuds/Night_Writer'>Night_Writer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Once Upon a Time (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Character Death, Gen, Mother-Daughter Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:34:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>726</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28424937</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Night_Writer/pseuds/Night_Writer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Anita lays dying in the den, and with her final breaths, she becomes the mother Ruby had always wished to find.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anita &amp; Red Riding Hood | Ruby</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Mother's Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's as Anita lays dying in the den that she registers her daughter standing beside her. She feels droplets land on her skin, and through glossy eyes, she glimpses tears on Ruby's cheeks. Even though she's been impaled from her daughter's act of love for her friend, she can't help but feel pride at Ruby's control of her wolf. She forces a small smile.</p><p>"Come here, cub." She gasps, hand outstretched towards Ruby, who takes it in both of hers, a strangled sob escaping her lips.</p><p>"I'm here, mama..." She whimpers, kneeling beside Anita, gazing down at her with those beautiful hazel eyes. The same hazel as her father. How Anita missed him. "I'm here..."</p><p>"I'm so... So proud of you... Ruby." Anita breathes, closing her eyes for a moment as she struggles to breathe. She turns to look at Ruby once more, tears dripping from the edges of her eyes. "You did... Well, my daughter... So well."</p><p>Ruby's hands tremble as she grips tighter to Anita's hand, wishing with everything in her that her mother would live. She wasn't ready to lose her again. Not when she'd just found her. She begged for more time.</p><p>"You must be strong, my cub..." Anita forces out, reaching up to cup Ruby's cheek with her free hand. When it drops, her blood lingers on her daughter's cheek. "You must live... For me... And for your father..." She gasps, blood beginning to seep into her mouth. "Do that for me... Promise me, Ruby."</p><p>"Mama...</p><p>"Promise me." Anita says again, more forcefully than needed, but she needed to hear Ruby promise her. She needed to hear her daughter's voice one last time.</p><p>"I promise, mama... I promise." Ruby chokes out, once more gripping Anita's hand in hers. "I promise."</p><p>"That's my strong girl..."</p><p>Anita allows herself a smile as Ruby's voice rings in her ears. She knew Ruby would keep her promise. She knew her mother would take care of her baby and continue to raise her as best as she could. She turns her gaze to her daughter once more, her eyes pleading as she gazes up into Ruby's gaze. Ruby understands her mother's look immediately, and she leans down and wraps her arms around Anita's neck, holding tight to her until she took her final breath.</p><p>Ruby sobbed as she felt her mother still in her arms. The woman she had dreamt of. The woman who's memory kept her safe in her nightmares. the woman who soothed every fear Ruby had at the moment she found her. Her heart broke at the stillness that radiated from her mother's body, but she couldn't force herself to pull away. She couldn't.</p><p>"Ruby... Ruby, come on." Snow begged, her hands coming to rest on Ruby's shoulders. "We have to go."</p><p>"No... No, I won't leave her. Not like this." Ruby sobbed, her face buried against her mother's neck. "I won't..."</p><p>Snow White understood immediately as she gazed at Ruby's shaking form. She felt guilt and responsibility for Anita's death, but she needed to comfort her best friend. She needed to be there for her in her time of grief. She offered to help Ruby bury her mother in a location of her choosing. The young wolf agreed and knew exactly where she wished her mother's grave to be.</p><p>Snow helped her move her mother to the willow tree beside the lake, where the moon would reflect off the water each night. It was a perfect spot for Anita to be buried, and Red knew that she would love it. The two friends stood over Anita's grave in silence. Snow chanced a glance at Ruby, glancing at the young woman who looked deep in thought. Perhaps she was praying. Perhaps she was trying to communicate with other members of the pack. Ahe couldn't be sure, but when her eyes opened to reveal gold instead of hazel, Snow knew they would be leaving soon.</p><p>"The pack is disbanding. They're splintering off into their own groups. They don't want to continue as a pack without mother." Ruby spoke, slicing the tense air between them. "We should also go."</p><p>"Where to?"</p><p>"To Granny... I need to speak with her about all that has happened." Ruby replied, offering Snow a sad smile.</p><p>Snow returned her sad smile before they both began the walk back to Granny's.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>